Headlines
• Wuhan finishes testing 11m residents
• 74.5% of UK adults double vaccinated
• Vaccine hesitancy 5x higher for those identifying as black or black British
• Canada lifts ban on US arrivals
• France’s health pass requirement expanded to most public spaces
World news
• Authorities in Wuhan said they had completed citywide testing of more than 11 million people on Sunday.
• According to the ONS, which conducted a survey of attitudes towards the vaccine between 23 June and 18 July, hesitancy among 16- and 17-year-olds has fallen from 14% to 11%. Meanwhile, among 18- to 21-year-olds it has dropped from 9% to 5% and among 22- to 25-year-olds it fell from 10% to 9%.
• The ONS survey also found that hesitancy among black or black British adults was 21%, compared with 18% for the previous survey, while the rate among white adults remained at 4%. Hesitancy was higher for adults identifying as Muslim 14% or other 14% for their religion, compared with adults who identify as Christian 4%, the analysis found.
• UK tourist have found the rules in other countries either difficult (47%) or very difficult (33%), according to the poll by the ONS.
• Australia expands New South Wales lockdown to include the town of Tamworth and Byron Bay.
• Australia’s pharmaceutical regulator has granted provisional approval to Moderna’s vaccine.
• Canada today lifts its ban on Americans entering the country. However, arrivals must be both fully vaccinated and test negative within three days.
• Saudi Arabia is from today taking travel requests from vaccinated foreign visitors seeking to visit the holy city of Mecca as part of the Umrah pilgrimage. The country will initially allow 60,000 pilgrims to perform the pilgrimage each month.
• In France from today health passes are required to access many public spaces such as cafes, restaurants, and shopping centres. The health pass was already required to access swimming pools, museums and nightclubs. The government has given businesses a one-week grace period to adjust to the extension of its use.
• 74.5% of UK adults have had two vaccine doses.
